Neonatal foals often exhibit various abnormalities. One type of abnormality is anatomical abnormalities. Several such abnormalities may be weakness of the pasterns and fetlocks, flexural deformities, or contracted tendons and angular limb deformities. These anatomical abnormalities affect the legs of the newborn foal.
These anatomical abnormalities may be inherited, or may be caused by viral infection, nutritional deficiencies, exposure to the mare of toxins or drugs, or malpositioning of the fetus in-utero. However, the cause of many anatomical abnormalities is still unknown, and mostly speculative at present.
Many of these abnormalities in young foals are treated with corrective splints, braces, or casts. However, these devices are difficult to adjust, are heavy, and often result in sores or skin irritation. Additionally, often the adjacent normal leg is injured due to rubbing or striking the device applied to the leg being treated. In some cases, corrective surgery may be necessary.
Therefore, there is a need for improved treatment of neonatal foals having anatomical abnormalities of the legs that will not result in potential complications as arises from conventional treatment.